The guns and ammunition found in Hanover on Sunday
Barrington Flemming – Staff Reporter
Major gun find in Hanover
The security forces are keeping a tight watch on gangs operating in the parish of Hanover as they strive to maintain a lull in gang activities in the parish.
Sharon Beeput, Superintendent of Police in charge of Hanover, who was speaking with the Western Mirror against the backdrop of Sunday’s gun and ammunition find at Land Top, Chester Castle in the parish, said the police are working hard to maintain law and order and was hoping to recover more guns, especially from the Chester Castle area.
She said while the police were monitoring violence producers, the gun find was instrumental in their efforts to curtail their activities.
“It was a good find and we are hoping to find some more because a number of guns are in that area that have been reported. So we are hoping to get the others that are out there. In the meantime, we are reassuring the residents that we are doing what it takes to make them safe,” Superintendent Beeput explained.
Four firearms, 34 assorted rounds of ammunition and a number of lead sheets were seized by lawmen during an operation in Land Top, Chester Castle on Sunday.
Reports are that about 6:15 a.m., police responded to shots being fired in the area. On their arrival, a premises was searched and the following items seized:
One Glock 40 pistol with a magazine containing five .40 rounds of ammunition; one Springfield HS 2000 pistol with a magazine containing six 9mm rounds of ammunition and one 9mm pistol with a magazine containing seven 9mm rounds of ammunition.
“It was as a result of the swift action of the police that they were able to make a break with this gun find. Unfortunately, we did not apprehend anyone for this, however, we will continue to do our best and work with the citizens, because we intend to make that community safe so we want everybody to come on board and support the work,” she said.
Superintendent Beeput said they are hoping to register a major reduction in criminal activities in the parish by the end of the year based on the work which is now being undertaken by the police in Hanover.
It has been a painful and stressful three months for Taneisha Whyte-Lewis of Look Out district Hanover, who has not seen her husband since February 19, when he left for work at a car wash but had not returned.
Her husband,44-year-old Lazbert Lewis, left for work on the morning of Monday, February 19, dressed in an orange plaid shirt, black pants, brown shoes and a red knapsack on his back.
She waited for his return that evening but after some time, she realized something was wrong because ordinarily, he would have reached home within a certain time frame but he did not.
“I called many times but his phone went unanswered. I cried that night because when somebody goes missing these days, you assume that he could be dead,” Mrs. Whyte-Lewis explained.
She related that she went to a house owned by Lazbert at Bamboo district and discovered that everything was intact except his clothes. Following that, she went to the police station at Sandy Bay and reported him missing.
“It is a traumatic time for the family. I went to the car wash to ask for him and they said they have not seen him since February,” Whyte-Lewis said.“I was so stressed out I had to go to the hospital to get something to calm my nerves. The police have not seen or heard anything.”
Taneisha and Lazbert, who got married two years ago, have been together for the past 15 years and are parents of a nine-year-old boy, a five-year-old girl, a triplet of two girls and a boy, who are almost two years and a ten-month-old baby girl.
Whyte-Lewis said she made contact with her husband’s relatives in Spanish Town, who are equally concerned as they have not heard or seen him.
“Lazbert’s sister even called me two days ago and she was very concerned about him. I have checked with all his friends and have been calling the phone, but I am not getting any response. Nobody nuh see him since that time.”
She said while she was not working while he was there, she had to get a job to take care of the children and is now employed to a haberdashery in Hopewell.
“I have to do something to take care of all these little ones, so I get a little work.”
The distraught mother and wife says she does not know what else to do.
“I don’t know where he is, every day the children are asking for him. The triplet saying ‘dada’ and I look at them with tears in my eyes and say I don’t know where your dada is,” said Whyte-Lewis.
A screenshot from the video of troops moving along Howard Cooke Boulevard
Anthony Barrett
Recently, I came across an online video of troop movement along Howard Cooke Boulevard in Montego Bay. It was a massive show of force by the military, a sight to behold. It was reminiscent of haunting and disturbing images from other third world countries in the throes of a military coup.
Had this overwhelming display of military might taken place in the heart of Kingston, rather than Montego Bay, where there is an ongoing State of Emergency, I would have surmised that the military was becoming quite restive in the face of low pay, the mounting crime problems/unchecked murders and general disorder bordering on anarchy.
The military is aware of the high esteem in which they are held by the Jamaican people, therefore, it is not so farfetched to believe that the Jamaican army cannot and would not launch a coup against this or any other government which they deem corrupt and cannot guarantee the Jamaican citizenry peace and security.
The military also understands that the Jamaican people, cowed by the murderers amongst us, would gladly embrace them as recent polls have indicated.
According to a January 2017 United States Agency for International Development (USAID) survey of 1,515 Jamaicans, 56.4 percent of those polled would conditionally support a military coup in Jamaica.
What might forestall such an eventuality is the military’s continued adherence to the principles of democracy and fair play. I say continued adherence because, at the height of the Dudus standoff, November 2009, I had an interesting conversation with three Jamaica watchers.
Those men represented powerful governments who all had vested interests in the resolution of the impasse sparked by the Bruce Golding administration’s refusal to turn over Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke to the Americans to face criminal charges there.
DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLES
Peeved at Golding’s stonewalling and further incensed by his bold assertion that ‘Jamaica’s constitutional rights do not begin at Liguanea’ comment, they clearly wanted the military to overthrow the Golding administration, however, to a man, they all agreed that the military’s leadership and core values were too steeped or entrenched in democratic principles and adherence for that to become a reality.
The Jamaica Defence Force might be a different entity than that which obtained in 2009; its leadership has certainly changed over the last nine years. Let us, as Jamaicans, even those who are content with giving up some constitutional rights, hope that the principle of democracy still underpins the J.D.F.
Despite that hope, it is disturbing that such a high percentage of Jamaicans would support military rule. Alarming though is the progression or hankering for military rule over an eleven-year period. In 2006, 39.7 percent of Jamaicans said they would support a military coup. In 2014, that percentage rose to 49.2 percent, jumping to the current 56.4 percent. That’s a 7.2 percent jump in two years compared to the 16.7 percent over the eleven-year span. Obviously, in less than eleven years, the majority of Jamaicans have lost confidence in the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s ability to protect and serve us.
To that significant 56.4 percent, I say Caveat emptor; this is a Latin term that means “let the buyer beware.” Military rule might not be the answer. Military rule might fail to meet your expectations. To opt for military rather than democratic rule is an extremely dangerous proposition which would irrevocably change the perception of Jamaica in the eyes of the world community.
LESSONS TO BE LEARNT
There are lessons to be learnt from gladly embracing military dictatorships with open arms throughout the years, but one of my favourite is that of General Napoleon Bonaparte and the people of Milan, Italy. On May 5, 1796, he entered Milan as a victor and saviour. The Milanese greeted him as a heroic liberator, the general who freed them from the rule of the Austrian emperor Francis I.
“People of Italy, the French army is here to break your chains,” Napoleon proclaimed, “our only quarrel is with the tyrants who have enslaved you.” Bonaparte made himself the head of a provisional Italian government. Those who resisted his rule were shot. His soldiers sacked towns and burned villages. The Italians quickly turned against him and his ideals. He would return to Paris with delusions of grandeur, stating privately, “what I have done up to now is nothing. I am only at the beginning of the course I must run… I can no longer obey; I have tasted command, and I cannot give it up.”
Who is to say that if we were to experience a military coup in Jamaica, the junta would know when to return the reins of governance to civilian rule? How would such a move impact the financial organs of government? How would it impact public service and production? Be warned, a military coup is fascism, an often brutal model of efficient government, replete with staggering poverty and corruption.
The stage is set for fascism or military tyranny, whichever pill that 56.4 percent of pro coup Jamaicans wishes to swallow when that time comes. You gave the military broad public support, the greater the support, the greater the power. The greater the power, the more brutally it will be wielded.
The security forces are keeping a close watch on the Savanna-la-Mar General Hospital in Westmoreland, which continues to receive many patients as a result of gang violence, in a continuous bid to stave off invasion from gangsters who are intent on getting to the victims.
Dr. Alfred Dawes, Senior Medical Officer of Health for the parish in an interview with the Western Mirror indicated that they still receive many patients as a result of gang violence, some of whom have to be transferred to other health facilities outside the parish under heavy police guard after receiving emergency treatment.
“The latest incident we had was on Wednesday where we had to have a heavy police contingent transfer a patient out of parish after being operated on. We have taken steps to have the hospital on lock down with enhanced security measures, especially when a patient is brought in for whom we suspect there may be a retaliatory shooting or invasion of the hospital,” explained Dr. Dawes
He says while some may not be as a result of gang violence, they have still requested the presence of the police on occasions and they have been conducting patrols.
“We would love for the security forces to remain here as long as possible, the staff is very concerned that things would go back to the terrible norm, that is the violence that pervades,” Dr. Dawes said.
BLOOD BANK EMPTY
In the meantime, Dr. Dawes says the hospital is now operating on crisis mode as the blood bank is out of blood, curtailing the Type B health facility’s ability to conduct elective surgery.
He says the treatment of victims of gun violence has totally depleted its stock of blood products and has forced them to put a hold on elective surgery.
Dr. Dawes pointed to the recent shooting at Grange Hill where 7 persons were shot and killed and 11 others wounded, as one of the main reasons for the hospital’s predicament.
“We had a blood drive a week before and all the blood that was collected was wiped out in one day when we had the Grange Hill shootings. It was very fortunate that we had the blood drive the week before so that we had enough blood to treat the victims, otherwise the body count would have been much higher as we would not be able to save as many persons as they came in,” Dr. Dawes explained.
He said they are operating under pressure now as while there has been a marked reduction in the number of gunshot wound victims, from four-a-day, as it persisted prior to the Grange Hill incident, it is still a challenge as when they get a single gunshot wound patient, it puts a major pressure on the system.
“There is still a lot of pressure because even if one patient comes in, they may need a dozen transfusions and in some instances, that may be all the reserves that we have in the hospital at the time and their stay in the hospital is longer as they are very sick patients. So, we exhausted the blood bank reserves treating patients.”
Dr. Dawes is therefore appealing to the public to come forward and give blood.
“So now we are constantly appealing for persons to come in and donate blood because we need to have an adequate reserve as there may not be a victim of gun violence but motor vehicle accident as well as and those persons may need blood as well.
The potholes at this section of the Wakefield to Hampden main road are so deep that when rain falls and gathers, it looks like a river, leaving persons to believe that there had been a flood.
Wakefield to Hampden road destroying vehicles
Motor vehicle users, particularly the bus and taxi operators with routes that demand the usage of the main road extending from Wakefield to Hampden, are issuing complaints for the umpteenth time to the government to rehabilitate the road.
“The condition of the road is very bad. And it is the only road we have to use. Dem need to do something about it now because every day is almost a near accident because of the poor condition,” said infuriated bus operator of seven years, Delmonte Reid, whose route is Wakefield TC Montego Bay.
While some motorists travel on that main road infrequently, operators of public transportation have to journey along the Wakefield to Hampden route on a daily basis, several times per day, to get to Montego Bay and back. This, they reveal, is as physically and monetarily taxing as it is dangerous.
Reid explains that the consistent rainfalls are making the road worse and, “It is like traversing through river. Everyting wash down in di road. We haffi pay man fi chop out a area fi the water wash down. We tiad a it!” He added that lower vehicles stand a higher risk of water getting into the engine and causing damage; and cylinders can break as a result of journeying through high water levels constantly.
He is becoming more frustrated as he and other drivers have bought multiple front-end parts on an ongoing basis for their vehicles, which continue to fall victim to the flood-prone, pothole-littered road.
Reid explained that there was a two-day road block demonstration last year, October 2017, which spurred a meeting with Dr. Horace Chang who assured them that he would lobby with the relevant authorities to have something done.
It was decided in the meeting that within two weeks, repairs would start on the road. However, consistent rainfalls at the time intervened, which prevented the commencement of the repairs. “We understood that it was the weather and we remained patient,” said Reid.
$10 MILLION ALLOCATION
According to him, the assumption from thus was that the revamping of the road would start when the rainfall lessened and indeed the months of January to March saw a significant decrease in rainfall in the area. However, a recent article published in the Western Mirror in March outlined that $10 million was allocated to fixing the same road, but there has been no visible evidence that the construction is taking place.
North Trelawny MP, Victor Wright, is aware of the situation and explained the reason behind the delay. “The funds were allocated in February but the tender process which was put in place by the government is what’s causing the hold up. It’s taken too long but NWA are on it.”
He continues that, “The $10 million that was provided by the NWA is waiting for the Contactor-General to provide insurance for the work to start.” MP Wright assures that as soon as the process is complete, work will begin on the road.
The Wakefield to Hampden main road has been in a deplorable condition for over 25 years now, and on several occasions, persons have been reaching out to the powers that be to restore it but nothing has been done to improve the condition. Residents living in the Wakefield, Deeside, Bunkers Hill and Friendship districts that have to commute along that route for the mere fact that it is the main road and the shorter route, have been suffering the most.
Users of the Wakefield to Hampden main road, which stretches from Trelawny to Montego Bay, are in unrest once more even though they wait patiently for the tender process to be complete so that rehabilitation of that vital main road can commence.
Kabaka Pyramid’s Kontraband hit stores last Friday, May 18! The fire single features Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley, who proclaims, Kontraband is the Masterplan on the single. Fans can purchase the song online today on all major digital outlets. The single is poised to capture the attention of the world and is the fourth single from Kabaka Pyramid’s highly anticipated, debut album, Kontraband, which is set to be released this coming Friday, May 25, 2018.
The single Kontraband features a groovy rhythm, accompanied by a brilliant hook reminiscent of an African chant. The punchy delivery of potent verses reveals Kabaka Pyramid and Damian Marley’s reverence for the power of the miracle herb, as they skillfully outline appreciation with the declaration, “Kontraband so damn good to me”. The lyrical powerhouses are resolute in their desire to secure the valuable item, that in some cases and spaces a contraband.
Kontraband follows the release of Can’t Breath, Borders and Kaught Up earlier this year. Kabaka Pyramid launches the album Kontraband with fans in Kingston on Friday, May 25 at the Bob Marley Museum ahead of upcoming tours of North America as well as Europe for the summer festival season. Fans can attend free of cost to mark this milestone with the musical transformative energy that is Kabaka Pyramid.
In recent times, the community of Duncans in Trelawny has been making the news with one tragic incident behind the other in the past couple of weeks. From a major car crash which caused the deaths of three people, to the tragic plane crash which claimed the lives of some promising young Jamaicans, Trelawny has had much to mourn. But that seems to be changing, ‘Clearing up’, if you will. Stevie Dunn, a son of the Trelawny who goes by the name ‘Clearance, seems to be on the path to giving the tragedy-struck people of that community, and the wider Jamaica, something to smile about. Hailing from the Spicy Hill community of Duncans, Clearance is now getting the recognition he so wanted, and in many respects, earned.
A past student of Duncans All Age School in the parish, Clearance pursued a course in Auto Repairs, following which he landed a job at Trelawny Tyres, an Auto Repairs shop.
Despite making an honest living through this newfound profession, music had always been Clearance’s calling, and since accepting that, he has been on a tear. He recorded his first song, ‘Money come on, but it go easy’. And although the resilient Dunn never quite made the impression he hoped he would have with that song, he was never deterred. He refocused and tried again, this time pairing his talent with magic-making producer, DJ Cleva Criss, also a son of the community. This saw him launching an assault on the status quo with his almost consecutive releases of bangers such as ‘A Journey’, ‘Solid as a rock’, ‘Forty-five’, ‘Angel’, and ‘Real Steppa’.
This dedication is paying off, as Clearance is now clearing his path in the booming music industry, and his partnership with DJ Cleva Criss, under his Cleva Criss Recordz label is certainly reaping dividends.
The latest song being promoted by Clearance ‘High’, which is being produced by Cleva Criss.
Clearance is a man of patience, and has his eyes set on first performing at the 2018 Trelawny jerk Festival. His next target? Reggae Sumfest. Next year.
Mayor Homer Davis addresses the audience on what to expect during the Sumfest period in relation to crime and the State of Emergency at the Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest launch on Thursday May 17, 2018 at the Iberostar Hotels and Resorts; (right, back) is host ZJ Sparks.
Mayor Homer Davis assures the public that crime will not be a deterrent to this year’s Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest. He addressed the concern at the launch of the annual reggae music festival on Thursday May 17, 2018 at the Iberostar Hotels and Resorts in St. James.
“With the upcoming Reggae Sumfest things are going to be smooth. I don’t expect any upheaval and normally over the years it has been peaceful,” said Mayor Davis.
The event which usually has the major stage shows extending over three (3) nights – first night featuring dancehall and the 2nd and 3rd nights being international nights will be adjusted to Festival Nights 1 and 2 this time around.
In the event that patrons attending the festivities are stopped by law enforcers due to the extended state of public emergency which will be in effect during the course of Reggae Sumfest, Mayor Davis is advising persons to be as cooperative as possible and encourages everyone to have proper identification at all times in their possession.
“Walk with your ID so that you can identify yourself if you are stopped by the police. And if you’re stopped by the police don’t be disrespectful even if you believe they are being disrespectful (to you), just stand your ground and remain mannerable and polite,” encouraged Mayor Davis.
He believes that based on the past people will be safer this time around during Reggae Sumfest as that period since its inception has been known to have fewer crime rates. He also reiterated that the St. James Municipality Corporation is partnering with Reggae Sumfest this year.
The Reggae Sumfest launch was hosted by ZJ Sparks and music was provided by DJ Jigga.
Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest is slated for July 15-22, 2018.
Abortion, like homosexuality, is a taboo subject in a Jamaica where morality is a thing of the past. This past week, a daily newspaper carried a series of articles on abortion so I began an unscientific poll. I asked more than fifty persons how they felt about legalized abortion and homosexuality. Surprisingly, the younger and more educated generation was more acceptable of both practices. While they opposed the legalization of both, they were tolerant and accepting, if not resigned, to the fact that those two things will be a part of every society’s fabric.
I grew up in a time when men suspected of being gay were harangued, assaulted and sometimes killed. Young girls were maligned, slandered and called ‘kill belly gal’ if they were suspected of having an abortion. To this day, I have hurtful memories of a young lady who was pilloried by the hypocrites in my community of Granville because they thought she had committed abortion. Years later, I discovered that one of her greatest antagonists and detractors had in fact committed three abortions prior to her scurrilous assault against the innocent young lady.
As a father of eight girls, I am pro-abortion; I believe that women have and should maintain the right to control their wombs and reproductivity without interference and draconian anti-abortion legislation by governments which are mostly male-dominated. I say that from the position of knowledge and empathy for women, given the traumatic decisions they are forced to make when they must choose between bringing or not to bring an unwanted child into this world.
RIGHT TO CHOOSE
Legislatively, the Jamaican government needs to bring coherence to the issue of abortion. Yes, abortion is illegal in Jamaica but what makes it so? Abortion is a genuine health concern and should be embraced rather than outlawed. Because of governmental rigidity, in not acknowledging a woman’s right to choose, we have over the years seen a number of women visiting quacks posing as doctors. Many women died while others were left traumatized and regretting their decisions. This should not continue to be the path left to women.
If they choose not to be maimed or killed in some backroom, they are left with one other choice, the black-market abortion pills. While there is no evidence that Jamaican females have died from the usage of such, others seeking quick abortions in Africa and the Caribbean have.
The time has come for women’s reproductive rights. No longer can we allow government to restrict those rights thus forcing women to seek back market alternatives or backroom abortions. Let us be mature adults and recognize that abortion of unwanted pregnancies is a reality that occurs daily in Jamaica. If a woman chooses to be invaded by a quack, the minimum she will pay is $30,000.00 and there are no guarantees she won’t have biological complications in future. If a woman opts for the non-invasive pill, she has no guarantee that the pills she buys on the Black Market are genuine. We must recognize those facts and enact legislation to protect a woman’s right to choose.
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
Thirty-two years ago, I paid for an abortion in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. I no longer question if it was the right decision. I know it was. My then partner had two children from a prior relationship before she gave birth to my second child. My daughter, the only child I had with her, was born in May. In October that same year, she became pregnant again, because of a multiplicity of reasons; domestic and financially, we both knew we didn’t want another child. Frankly, we knew there was no future for our continued relationship and another child would add further complication to a loveless relationship.
Callously and unthinkingly, I told her to get an abortion at the Planned Parenthood office which was about a mile from our home. For days, that proud, strong woman cried as she contemplated my harsh suggestion. One Friday night about two weeks later, I returned home after I had done my carousing, to find a resolute and angry woman waiting up for me.
I still remember that cussing out, not conversation. However, it was reasoned, without the usual acerbic blaming accusation, highly intellectual, given her academic background. That night I learnt the magnitude of emotions a woman goes through when she is faced with the prospect of abortion. On May 18, 2018, my daughter celebrated her birthday, her younger sibling will never celebrate a birthday. Today, her mother is no longer traumatized but I suspect she remains scarred because of that decision. Let me hasten to say, over the years, she never expressed regrets to me. However, if she never had that choice, our lives would have been more miserable. I wonder how many Jamaican women, because of our archaic laws, have been forced to carry into this world unwanted children.
Peace! mocobarrett@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: Except for our editorials on these pages, the views expressed in other correspondence to us do not necessarily reflect our view and way of thinking.
A section of the old market which is of concern to vendors now occupying it
Shamir Brown – Telawny Correspondent
Mayor of Falmouth, Colin Gager, says despite a series of delays, the multi-million-dollar Falmouth Market should be completed by month’s end.
The new market, which is expected to house 700 vendors when completed, is being developed by the Port Authority of Jamaica, which has spent more $200 million dollars so far on the project.
However, despite the massive capital outlay from the Port Authority, Local Government Minister, Desmond McKenzie, allocated an additional 15 million dollars to aid with the speedy completion of the project.
Falmouth’s new Market
This follows complaints from several vendors who formerly occupied the old market, who argued that with the roof being removed from the old market which housed them, they are now left to the elements and the authorities must find a suitable replacement for them until the new market is ready as the old market is now uninhabitable.
The new market has been under construction for the past three years and will replace the old market and will include space for the popular ‘Bend Down’ market in the town of Falmouth.
